Malappuram: Three more bodies were recovered on Monday morning during search operations following a sudden flash flood at a tourist spot in T.K. Nagar, Amarambalam, in Nilambur, Malappuram.

With the latest recoveries, the death toll has risen to five. One woman remains missing and authorities are continuing search operations to determine whether anyone else was swept away.

The bodies recovered on Monday were identified as Raheem of Karuvarakundu, and Rafeeq and Sajjad of Kottakkunnu, Vandoor. They were taken to Manjeri Medical College Hospital. The bodies of Anas, 31, son of Kottakkal Mangadan Hameed, and Muhammad Kutty, 63, from Tirur, had been recovered on Sunday.

The missing woman has been identified as Sajitha, wife of Sanjaydas Veluthedath of T.K. Nagar.

Flash flood struck without warning

The incident occurred at around 5 pm on Sunday while a large number of tourists were in and around the river.

According to local accounts, there was no rain in the immediate area when the flash flood occurred. Water from the upper regions suddenly flowed into the river, causing the current to strengthen within a short period.

The sudden rise in water caught several people off guard. Some people escaped by climbing onto trees and boulders, while locals used ropes to help those trapped in the current reach safety.

Forest officials and local residents were among the first to notice the sudden change in the water level and alert people in the area.

Local residents and Forest Department personnel played a key role in the initial rescue effort.

Locals rescued four members of a six-person group from Chekkad who were trapped in the river. Two others from the group managed to swim to safety.

Those who escaped included Noushad, 37, of Puttamanna; Shabeer Babu, 40, of Karuvarakundu; Muhammad Sadurul, 21, of Vandoor; Farhan, 23, of Kottakkunnu; Mirdha, 39, of Vandoor; and Firoz, 43, of Puliyangode.

Officials and residents continued searching the area after two bodies were recovered on Sunday. Police, Fire and Rescue Services, Forest Department personnel, local residents and Trauma Care workers joined the search.

The rescue effort was complicated by darkness after the incident. Officials are continuing to search the river and surrounding areas for the missing woman and to establish whether anyone else was swept away.

Police teams led by Nilambur DySP Rafeeq, along with personnel from Kalikavu and Pookkottumpadam police stations, participated in the operation. Forest Department and Nilambur Fire and Rescue Service teams were also deployed.

The recovered bodies reportedly had multiple injuries consistent with being carried through the rocky riverbed and striking boulders.